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FO76 publicteam xpd.pngFor an overview of the topic, see Harold (disambiguation).


“Sometimes the meat slides right off the bone, if you know what I mean. Heh heh. Whoo. That was a wild time.”

Harold is a character appearing across the Fallout Series.

Background

Harold was only five years old when the war started and he entered Vault 29.[Pub 1] He still remembers the sirens on that day and the terrible days that followed, living in an overcrowded Vault with not enough food and water to go around.[1] He left the vault, and began to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit between survivalist communities that emerged throughout the former state of California.[2][Pub 1]

Over the next twelve years, he made a tidy profit, rising to prominence in the Hub. However, all things come at a cost and Harold's success ran up a hefty bill due to attacks by gangers, scavengers and mutant creatures that made it necessary to employ entire armies of guards just to keep them at bay.[3] Harold and a group of wastelanders decided to explore Mariposa Military Base, but did not realize the level of danger within. The entire group was whittled down to just Harold and Richard Grey, as Francine was wounded and Mark was sent to the surface, never to be heard from again. The two of them penetrated all the way into the base's central core, where the vats of FEV were located. The expedition was finally routed when the robotic crane crashed into them, sending Grey into a vat of FEV and badly injuring Harold. He passed out, only to wake up in the wasteland days later, in the throes of change due to exposure to FEV, when he handled a contaminated item in the base.[3][4][5][Pub 1] He was found by traders four days later, on June 27, and taken back to the Hub. His horrifying transformation caused him to lose his business, as employees and partners turned away from him.

Publications

“Harold: An Old, Old Mutant: Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant. At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate. He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things with-in the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows.”— Fallout Official Survival Guide
“This ancient ghoul has been around forever — in fact, he remembers the original Vault Dweller. Harold is the de facto leader of this ghouls community. All kinds of papers stack up in his office — an erroneous Coolant Report here can be used to shut down the reactor, and you can even find a Parts Requisition Form lying around, too.”— Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets
“The poor old Ghoul just wants to live his (hopefully) final days in peace. But with Mutants tearing up the once quiet Ghoul city of Los, that dream's put on hold. Harold is just going to pieces over the whole ordeal, and if you manage to find some of his missing pieces, he will reward you.”— Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Official Strategy Guide
“Harold is a spectacular mutation—he is a gnarled face growing in the Oasis Grove—and goes by many names: The Lord; Him; The One Who Grows, Gives, and Guides; and The Talking Tree. In addition, Harold has his own name for the growth that has been expanding out of him for years: Herbert. In turn, Herbert is also known by another name: Bob. Harold was once human and thinks he was exposed to F.E.V. during an exploration of a military base called Mariposa.”— Fallout 3 Official Game Guide/Wasteland Census

Locations

Fallout

The Hub

Harold in the Hub

By the time he met the Vault Dweller, he was the oldest person alive in the Hub, known for his stories and knowledge. In exchange for caps, he will share information.[Pub 1] Harold managed to bring a measure of equality between the impoverished population of Hub's Old Town and the rest of the city.

Fallout 2

He traveled north, accompanied by a sapling (Bob) that took root in his head. He arrived in Gecko and helped in the struggle between the ghouls and the bigoted inhabitants of Vault City to solve the Gecko powerplant problem. Afterward, he set out once more.

Gecko

Harold is a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.[6] The Chosen One runs into Harold in Gecko, the Ghoul town not far from Vault City. After the destruction of Necropolis, most of the ghoul population of the town migrated far to the north to form a settlement around an old nuclear power plant built by Poseidon Energy before the Great War.

When Harold arrived, the plant was being run dangerously and ineffectively. Harold quickly took over and fixed the reactor. When the Chosen One arrives in Gecko, Harold asks them to help solve the subsequent powerplant problem.

Fallout: Tactics

Midwest

Harold can be recruited when becoming a Junior Knight and helping the Ghouls in Quincy. Starting at level 11, Harold has four perks, despite being a ghoul with a Perk Rate of 4, meaning that by level 11, he should only have two perks (three at level 12, and then a fourth at level 16). At level 12, he will gain a fifth perk, and can be used to take Mutate! in order to replace Skilled with Gifted, significantly raising all Harold's stats, while still have gotten the benefit of having skilled up until level 11, without any drawback, due to the extra perks. In fact, at level 12, gaining his 5th perk, he would still have more perks than a standard Human with a Perk Rate of 3, who gain their fourth perk at level 12. This is arguably balanced by the fact that the four perks that he has can be considered less than stellar; Die Hard, Rad Child, Bonsai, and Way of the Fruit.

Harold also has four tagged skills, without having taken the Tag! Perk, meaning that when he would take Tag!, he would have a total of five tagged skills, and as opposed to the perks, none of his tags can be considered sub-par. The negative part is that he lacks the Fast Shot trait, integral for a dedicated thrower. Harold already has 10 points in Big Guns, but has otherwise only spent points in tagged skills, making it a good contender for the Tag! perk. Harold also has two stat points more than he should have.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel

Los

Harold missing an arm

Harold can be found in the Ghoul settlement of Los. The player can ask him about his missing body parts, which will start the quest Find Missing Pieces. Upon finding his Rotten Eyeball, Rotten Arm and Rotten Toe, Harold will reward the player with 1,000 Bottle Caps.

In Carbon, if the player asks Ruby about the location of Los after defeating the Raider Matron, she will mention Harold and state that he was a "shriveled up fella passing through town."[7] Afterwards, the player can mention Ruby to Harold, which he'll reply that he engaged in services with her, stating that he "put quite a scare" into her and that "sometimes the meat slides right off the bone."[8] This interaction rewards the player with 300XP.

Fallout 3

Capital Wasteland

FO3 Harold.jpg

Harold traveled to the Capital Wasteland. Overwhelmed by Bob, he stopped to rest, only to realize that he was unable to move anymore, rooted to the ground by his companion. He became part of the tree, sustained by its photosynthesis and nutrients taken from the ground. He took root in the northern Capital Wasteland and was found by a wanderer.[9][10] This wanderer, later taking the name Tree Father Birch, beheld the glory of Harold and knew other wanderers would seek to do the Great One harm. He founded the Treeminders, a group of pure-hearted individuals that would protect the Great One as his last line of defense.[11] Once Harold and Bob truly became a part of the environment, a verdant vale of growth spread from the tree, washing the barren hillside over with life and greenery, and enticing animal life to inhabit the area.[12][13][Pub 2]

With the Treeminders' care and attention, Bob started to take root further; over time, his root system carried away Harold's internal organs far throughout the cave system below, making it plain that short of a merciful death, Harold would remain forever in one spot.[14][15] Harold used his ability to spread Herbert's seeds to attract wanderers, at first to amuse himself, and then to find a solution to the problem he was in. The key issue was that the purification ceremony necessary for outsiders to gain access to Harold involved drinking hallucinogenic sap derived from Bob, resulting in psychosis and other severe mental problems in most who came to the Oasis.[16]

He kept trying, hoping to attract someone capable of helping him through his ordeal and finally managed to attract the Lone Wanderer. Upon their acceptance into the cult, Harold requested that they kill him, to spare him the agony of being rooted in one spot for all eternity.[17] Suffering from depression, he pleaded with the Lone Wanderer to end his life, something the Treeminders could not do.[18][19] His requests for them to end his life wound up interpreted as tests of their moral and spiritual aptitude, rather than genuine pleas for mercy.[20]

He and Bob genuinely only enjoyed the company of Sapling Yew, the youngest of the group, who listened to him without reservation.[21] Others, treating him as a god, always looked for hidden meanings or had their own designs for him. Tree Father Birch and Leaf Mother Laurel held two opposing views of what should happen: Birch wished to contain Bob's spread to protect Oasis and Harold, while Laurel desired to share their god's gift with everyone. One can decide to fulfill Harold's wish and euthanize him or persuade him to live on and either have Bob spread out or be contained.[22][23][24][25]

The tree growing out of, and eventually, overwhelming Harold, is named Bob. Bob sprouted from Harold's head sometime after his exposure to FEV at the Mariposa Military Base. In the beginning, Bob was a small sprig but its growth accelerated, turning into a full-sized tree, overtaking Harold, and rooting itself to the ground in the Capital Wasteland region.[26] As of 2277, the two have been rooted to the location for over two decades.[27]

Harold considers Bob his friend and speaks to him as if he was thinking aloud. Harold will sometimes jokingly refer to Bob as Herbert and makes several comments regarding the literal and figurative closeness of their relationship.[26][28] When the Lone Wanderer approaches Bob and Harold for the first time, Harold will share that he was able to see their approach through the leaves of other trees, and although impressive, makes Bob jealous.[29]

Interactions overview

Interactions
FO76 ui icon quest.png
This character is involved in quests.

Tell Me Abouts

Harold's Tell Me Abouts in Fallout
Query Response
Richard, Grey Brilliant guy. A doctor and philosopher. Long ago he leadIn-game spelling the expedition where I got changed into a mutant.
Master Who? Is he some sort of sex therapist? I could use one, you know.
Ghouls Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.
Loxley Him. He leads the Thieves Circle. Thinks he's Robin Hood. [cough] He's alright, I guess.
Cathedral I've seen religions come and religions go, and I hope this one goes. Soon.
Vault Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?
War Horrible. The world just went insane. Long ago, but I'll never forget it. Never.
Decker [Cough] Trouble. Nothing but trouble.

Quotes

Appearances

Harold appears in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, Fallout 3, Fallout Shelter Online, and the Fallout: The Board Game add-on Fallout: New California.

Behind the scenes

Gallery

Fallout
  • "Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time."
  • "Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye."
  • "Nevermind, that was from my time. I'm cranky, old and I've been that way ever since I changed."
Fallout 2
  • "I gotta tell ya, ol' Harold's a bit slow on the draw hisself. The two of us talkin' wouldn't get a whole lot done."
  • "Mighty kind a'ya. Not many smoothskins would do that for a town full of ghouls. Kinda reminds me of a smoothie I knew, way back when."
  • "I'd rather look like this than look like you and have to be you. You are a bonehead. Get the hell outta here."
Fallout Tactics

  • Tactics portrait

  • In game model

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel
Fallout 3
Other

References

  1. ↑ Vault Dweller: "Vault"
    Harold: "Yeah, I came from a Vault. Too many people, not enough food and water. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
    (HAROLD.MSG)
  2. ↑ Harold: "Spare change, old friend, old pal? Can you help a poor mutant down on his luck? [Cough]"
    Vault Dweller: "Yeah, here's $25. Good luck to you."
    Harold: "Oh, kind of ya, friend. Very kind. You know, if I could clear the gunk out of there, you, just might find a tear in Old Harold's eye."
    Vault Dweller: "Why is that?"
    Harold: "[Cough] Rest of the Hubbers' been picking on me like a bad booger since I came back to town. I can't leave, though. When the deals are done [wheez] it's still my home."
    Vault Dweller: "What happened to you?"
    Harold: "Well, after the Great War, my Vault was one of the first to open. [Takes a deep breath] Whew. Long time."
    Vault Dweller: "Tell me more about those days."
    Harold: "All started with the sirens. I was young, but ohh, I do remember that. Lotta terrible years followed. And I remember walking outta the Vault late one morning."
    Vault Dweller: "Where was your Vault located?"
    Harold: "You know, [cough] I'm not real sure anymore. West, I think. Uh wait - east? Ooh I don't know. [Hacking cough]"
    (HAROLD.MSG)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vault Dweller: "What did you do then?"
    Harold: "Well, I was a trader. Did pretty good making a circuit between survivors. Lost a lotta good people, though. [Coughs]
    Vault Dweller: "How?"
    Harold: "Gangers got'em. Scavengers attacking the caravans. And mutants, son of a dog, if they weren't springing up like rabbits with a mission. [cough] Had to have an army of guards with, just to do a deal."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  4. ↑ Vault Dweller: "Where were the mutants coming from?"
    Harold: "Everywhere! Hell, seemed like you couldn't fart without hitting one. But mostly in the northwest."
    Vault Dweller: "Did you explore that area?"
    Harold: "We mounted an expedition. God, Richard. Richard Grey. Led a small group of us up there."
    Vault Dweller: "Richard Grey?"
    Harold: "Richard Grey was a doctor. Little older than me, and friend was he smart. He found the source."
    Vault Dweller: "And what was that?"
    Harold: "Some sort of old military base. We lost a lotta folks getting in there."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you know this base was the cause?"
    Harold: "Because it was like someone went bargain shopping at mutantland! Geez! Cheaper by the dozens! Can't figure any other reason except that being the factory."
    Vault Dweller: "Did you examine the base closely?"
    Harold: "We got pretty far inside. Wasn't a lot of us left by then. Grey, me and couple of others."
    Vault Dweller: "And then?"
    Harold: "One of them robots got Francine. Mark was wounded, sent him back to the surface. Then it was just me and Grey."
    Vault Dweller: "What ever happened to Mark?"
    Harold: "To this day, I don't know. He never made it back here, and...well I...couldn't face the wasteland again, so I...I never looked."
    Vault Dweller: "What about you and Grey?"
    "Harold: We made it to some sort of central core, like a plant of some sort. That's when it happened."
    Vault Dweller: "What?"
    Harold: "A robot crane crashed into us. Last I saw of Grey, he was flying through the air in-into some sort of acid bath. I was in bad shape and...well I passed out."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you survive?"
    Harold: "Well, I have no idea. Woke up in the wasteland, barely hanging on. Got lucky and some traders I knew found me days later. Good thing, since I was already changing. They brought me here, and here I've been since."
    Vault Dweller: "How did you mutate?"
    Harold: "All's I know, is it was something inside that base."
    Vault Dweller: "Do you think it could have been radiation?"
    Harold: "How the hell should I know? Grey would've known if anybody could. [sigh] Anyway, that's how the deal went down."
    (HAROLD.MSG)
  5. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "How did a tree end up growing out of your head?"
    Harold: "It was a long time ago... I tend to lose track. I was exploring some sort of a military base with some other people... I think it was called Mariposa. We were pretty deep inside and we found some weird vats of this nasty green goo. Right when we were about to leave, I think we were attacked. Last thing I remember before blacking out was something knocking my friend into the stuff."
    (Harold/Dialogue (Fallout 3))
  6. ↑ Harold's dialogue, line 102
  7. ↑ Initiate (player character): "I'm looking for a ghoul city in this region..."
    Ruby (Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel): "Sorry, I can't help you. I've only seen one ghoul before, a shriveled up fella passing through town. What was his name? Henry? Harold?"
    (Ruby's dialogue)
  8. ↑ Initiate (player character): "Harold, do you remember a hooker named Ruby?"
    Harold: "Oh, I remember Ruby! Put quite a scare into that little girl... not on purpose, mind you. Sometimes the meat slides right off the bone, if you know what I mean. Heh heh. Whoo. That was a wild time."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  9. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
    Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
    (Harold/Dialogue (Fallout 3))
  10. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Why do you call yourselves Treeminders?"
    Tree Father Birch: "We care for this place and keep it safe from those who would seek to exploit it. He gives to us, so we give back to Him. It's an arrangement that's worked well for almost two decades. We shun technology and embrace nature. That's the life of a Treeminder."
    (Tree Father Birch/Dialogue)
  11. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "How did the Treeminders begin?"
    Tree Father Birch: "When I first beheld the glory of the Great One, I knew there'd be others who would seek to do Him harm. I also knew He would be calling others that he felt were pure of heart to protect Him. Right then and there I created the Treeminders... the Great One's last line of defense."
    (Tree Father Birch/Dialogue)
  12. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "How is it you're causing all of these things to grow around you?"
    Harold: "It's kind of embarrassing really. Once a year, Bob decides he's going to go ahead and start growing these weird pods filled with tiny seeds. Well, all it takes is a good wind and the seeds just fly everywhere. I call them Herbert's Seeds. He hates that!"
    (Harold's dialogue)
  13. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Amazing, this place seems so abundant with animal life."
    Tree Father Birch: "The innocent creatures are drawn here by His gifts. They come from across the Wasteland to live in this sanctuary. This part of the world is healing, my friend, and it's all thanks to Him."
    (Tree Father Birch's dialogue)
  14. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Hey, maybe if you tell me what Harold is scared of I won't be scared either."
    Lone Wanderer: "Tell me, too! Then I won't be scared either."
    Sapling Yew: "Awww, I never knew an Outsider could be scared of anything! Harold told me that he's scared of fire. If fire ever got on him, it would burn him and Bob until they were all gone. That's why we keep the fires far away from him."
    (Sapling Yew's dialogue)
  15. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "How would I be able to kill you? You're a tree."
    Harold: "How to put this? ...I've been feeling rather "spread out" lately. I think Bob's kinda shoved my insides around some. It's hard to tell where everything is, but it's always that way with one's insides, isn't it? Anyway, I believe Bob's carried some of my organs into his root system. I want you to go underground and destroy my heart."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  16. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "How do the Treeminders normally handle other Outsiders?"
    Harold: "Oh, you wouldn't believe how they handle them. They make them drink this gunk that Poplar makes. Sometimes they just go nuts and start running around, and sometimes when they wake up and see me they run for the hills! I'll tell you, Outsiders are almost as entertaining as the Treeminders!"
    (Harold's dialogue)
  17. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."
    Harold: "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me?"
    Lone Wanderer: "You want me to murder you?"
    Harold: "Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
    Lone Wanderer: "You don't actually seem that sad. Why do you want to die?"
    Harold: "I've been literally rooted to this spot thanks to Bob for maybe twenty or thirty years... I can't even remember anymore. Can you imagine being stuck in one place for that long not being able to eat or to read or to sleep or anything? In the meantime, I have these Treeminders bothering me every day about things I don't even care about. I can't stand it anymore."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  18. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"
    Harold: "I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end. When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  19. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "If people thought I was a god, I'd exploit it for all it's worth!"
    Harold: "Hey, I thought that too... at first. I had them sing me songs, I made them do stupid dances and things like that. Bob even told me to make Maple stand on his head for a whole day! After a while though, it just gets boring. Then it becomes a nuisance and now it's completely driving me nuts! When I saw you coming towards Oasis, I thought I felt that you'd understand me. I guess I was wrong."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  20. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Had you ever asked one of them to kill you before?"
    Harold: "They wouldn't listen to me at all! If I told them something simple, then it got done. Otherwise, Birch spent a week looking for a hidden meaning. Plus, he used to just pop in whenever he wanted and started chanting this nonsense. Sometimes I used to just sit there silently just to make him mad! That was fun for a while. Hopefully this will all change now that things are different... thanks to you!"
    (Harold's dialogue)
  21. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Which Treeminder do you get along with the best?"
    Harold: "Actually, the kid is the nicest one of all. Yew's her name. She sneaks in here sometimes and just lets me talk about stuff I wanna talk about. Bob really likes her too, cause she makes me happy."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  22. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "You've become an important part of their life. Without you, they're lost."
    Harold: "So, they really need me that badly, huh? I guess I never thought of it that way. Awfully selfish of me. Should we give them another chance, Herbert? Fine, fine. I mean Bob. I still think it's funny when I call him Herbert."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  23. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Hey, life is a gift. Even if it lasts a long time, be glad you have it!"
    Harold: "I've tried to stay happy, really I have. Bloomseer Poplar thinks I'll live for hundreds of years... maybe even more! Can you imagine THAT? Stuck here for centuries? I can't do it, I just want to be alone. Just me and Bob until the end."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  24. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Ok, I'll do it."
    Harold: "You will? Oh! You've made us so happy! Isn't that right Bob? Just give me a little time to say goodbye to good old Bob and then I'll be ready."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  25. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Well, hopefully your troubles will be over. I'm here to help."
    Harold: "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Or, we're glad to hear that... me and Bob. I had you brought in here to ask a very simple favor. Would you please kill me? "
    Lone Wanderer: "Kill you? You can't be serious!"
    Harold: "Completely serious. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
    Lone Wanderer: "Look, I really don't want to kill you..."
    Harold: "Of all the Wastelanders I had to bump into it has to be one with a conscience. Let's keep it an open invitation then. I don't want to wait until the next person visits, it could be years."
    Lone Wanderer: "Can I have some time to think about it?"
    Harold: "Of course. I know this is an unusual request, but hey, I'm an unusual tree. Well, Bob is anyway... We'll just keep it an open invitation then. I don't want to wait until the next person visits, it could be years... you're all I've got."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lone Wanderer: "What's with all the names? Bob, Herbert and Harold? I don't get it."
    Harold: "I was once a man a long time ago named Harold. Something in me changed and a weird little tree started growing right out of my head. It kept getting bigger until I ended up stuck inside. When people would ask about it, I decided to name it Bob. You know, like a friend or something. Sometimes I call him Herbert instead of Bob, because I get bored and I think it's funny. So long story short, call me Harold!"
    (Harold's dialogue)
  27. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "You want me to murder you?"
    Harold: "Oh no, no, no. It wouldn't be murder. You'd be doing me a favor. You see, I've been stuck here for over two decades now... rooted right into the ground. The only friends I've got are Bob and those weirdos out there who think I'm a god."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  28. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Um... I must be dreaming."
    Harold: "Sigh. I wish I was too. Then me and Herbert could be the best of friends and live side by side. He's the tree, you see. We're old pals... the best of buddies and we know each other inside and out; literally. Well, his name's really Bob. I think it's funny to call him Herbert. But I don't think he thinks it's that funny."
    (Harold's dialogue)
  29. ↑ Lone Wanderer: "Seeing me approach Oasis is quite a feat for a living tree."
    Harold: "Maybe I'm just losing my mind from all this boredom. I swear if I try real hard, I can see all around me like my eyes are in every leaf on every tree. I think it's making Bob kind of jealous, cause he was the first tree in my life and all that."
    (Harold's dialogue)
Publications
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fallout Official Survival Guide p. 97: Harold: An Old, Old Mutant
    "Harold is the oldest person alive in the Hub. In fact, he was five years old when the war started. After his vault opened and its inhabitants made their way out into the wasteland, he became a merchant."
    "At some point many years ago, he handled an artifact contaminated with the FEV virus that caused him to mutate . He is now very old, sick, and he tends to ramble on a lot. Some of his information may be out of date. He can be cranky at times, but he likes to tell stories. He could be a good source of information on people and things within the Hub, and it's worthwhile talking to him to find out what he knows."
    "Hints"
    "Be patient with Harold and draw him out. He has one critical piece of information that may be of use: He knew the Master when the Master was still human, and he has been to the lost military base."
  2. ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition pp. 319-320: 2.01: OASIS (LAT -03/LONG 28)
    OASIS
    "Oasis is a fertile, verdant dot in the center of all the desolation. This odd hidden vale is home to a strange, tribal-like people who call themselves the Treeminders. You are welcomed into Oasis with open arms, and their leader, Tree Father Birch, invites you to meet their god. Oasis is tucked away inside a giant rocky outcrop in the mountains just northeast of the monorail and freeway skeletons, and the entrance is close to a rope bridge."
    (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide/Tour of the Capital Wasteland)
Design Documents
  1. ↑ Nursery design document
  2. ↑ Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2 Design Document p. 23: "However, a wandering ghoul, good old Harold, comes across you just as you are about to kick the bucket. He heals you, and then helps you walk off ..."
Developer Statements
  1. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (now human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
  2. ↑ Fallout Bible 5: "2090 Vault 29 opens. Harold (currently human) sets out to make his fortune as a trader, making the circuit around the survivalist communities in the wasteland."
  3. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2096 Harold rises to the level of a caravan boss in the Hub. His caravans suffer occasional attacks in the wastes, but Harold's caravan outfit survives and prospers... until the mutant attacks begin to pick up a few years later."
  4. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces."
  5. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland."
  6. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together."
  7. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2238 Harold arrives in Gecko, and (with a lot of shaking of his head) he does his best to help the ghouls with the running of the Nuclear Power Plant."
  8. ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "You still hear mention of Harold from time to time. Apparently, the tree growing from his head has gotten larger, and if rumors are to be believed, fruit is growing from it. The seeds are said to remarkably tough, and several of them have taken root even in the most barren stretches of the wasteland."
  9. ↑ Fallout Bible 5: All good points - Tim Cain and Chris Taylor agree with you, and they say Harold's a ghoul. To quote statements within the past week: Chris Taylor: Ghouls are a type of mutant. Harold is a ghoul. He's also a little special.Super Mutants are humans with no or minimal radiation damage who have been exposed to FEV. Ghouls are humans with significant radiation damage exposed to FEV. Harold is, well, Harold.
    Tim Cain: I know we treated him as a ghoul, but not a Necropolis one. He may have been irradiated before or after. All I remember was that he went in there with the guy whose name I forget (the one who fell into the vat and became the Master), and only Harold came out. Harold's memory is totally whacked, btw. Most people don't know when they get irradiated, so he [Harold] just may not know what happened to him. I do know that radiation and FEV do not mix. Mutants are immune to radiation effects, but an irradiate human is killed by exposure to FEV. So one thing is sure: Harold is not a mix of radiation and FEV. He's got to be one or the other, and I think he's a ghoul.
    According to Chris, ghouls are irradiated humans exposed to FEV.
    According to Tim, ghouls are due solely to radiation.
    Both agree Harold is special. And I don't mean handicapped.
    Officially: Ghouls are a mix of FEV and radiation. Harold is a mutant who resembles a ghoul. Harold may have had some radiation damage before he was exposed to FEV, but his mutation (outside of his surface appearance) makes him different than a ghoul. Most ghouls are the result of extreme radiation + FEV exposure, but Harold's change was due primarily to FEV exposure (again, he could have sucked up a few rads in the wastes without him knowing, especially considering how long he ran caravans in the wastes).
    He is hideously mutated enough so that he looks like a ghoul, but he's not technically one, and this is the mistake that Loxley makes (Loxley only judges a book by its cover, and he knows nothing about genetics or anything beyond a surface appearance).
    You can call him a ghoul if you want, but the official answer is:
    "Harold is Harold." Harold's special.
    BTW, glowing ghouls are ghouls that suck up too many rads after they have become ghouls. We originally wanted Lenny in F2 to be able to turn into a glowing ghoul when he drinks too much radioactive liquor, but we didn't put it in."
  10. ↑ Fallout Bible 5: "27. I disagree with making Harold not a ghoul. During Fallout 1 the name "ghoul" was not yet as widely used as in F2. Harold could have disagreed with calling his mutant kind with such a name (which is not very nice). When you ask him about the ghouls he says:
    {1102}{hrold302}{Mutants. Doesn't matter what they call themselves.}
    I think it doesn't necessarily mean that he's not a ghoul. It just means that he doesn't want to be called a 'ghoul'. He says, that the ghouls are mutants, just like him, and it doesn't matter how they call themselves.
    I think the name 'ghouls' was either created for them by the Necropolis ghouls themselves, or by people who considered them monsters. As he looks like a ghoul, i think he would be considered one by both. Ghouls are not like supermutants, they are not all the same. It's only a name for people twisted by radiation or FEV (or both). There may be ghouls created only by radiation, and ghouls created only by FEV.
    I also think, though Harold was mutated in the Vats, that if you say that all the ghouls were created by the FEV, then there isn't much difference between Harold and other ghouls.
    Chris Taylor wrote:
    "Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.
    If so, then people dipped in the Vats can become ghouls instead of supermutants, if they are radiated. I think that easily matches Harold's case...
    Fallout 2:
    {100}{}{You see a particularly leathery-looking Ghoul.}
    {101}{}{You see Harold.}
    {102}{}{You see a very old but still spry-looking ghoul.}
    {172}{}{Put a sock in it ya smelly old ghoul. Goodbye.}
    Loxley (F1):
    {244}{LOX_69}{Harold? He's a good enough sort, for being a ghoul an all. Lives on the south side.}
    As you can see, Harold is called a ghoul in the game.
    Butch (F1):
    {233}{BUTCH46}{Alright, so it wasn't the Death Claw. But what would the mutants in Old Town want with our caravans? Unless it's some kind of conspiracy.}
    As you can see, there are more muties in the Hub Old town, not only Harold (though we don't see them in the game). And they are all called both 'mutants' and 'ghouls'.
    I think the point is that you call 'ghouls' only the ones that were exposed to 'wild' FEV in the air and radiation, and not the ones that were screwed-up results of dipping (like Harold and Talius). I think both kinds should be called 'ghouls', because, though they were created with different methods, the result is identical, and they were both result of radiation and FEV (ghouls of Necropolis are radiated people that were exposed to mutated FEV in the air, and Harold and Talius are result of dipping people with radiation damage - think this is what Chris Taylor meant)."
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Fallout Characters Icon vaulttec.png
BoneyardJon Zimmerman •  Nicole •  Razor
The CathedralLaura •  Master •  Morpheus
The HubButch Harris •  Daren Hightower •  Decker •  Harold •  Jain •  Loxley
JunktownGizmo •  Killian Darkwater
Lost HillsCabbot •  John Maxson •  Rhombus •  Vree
Mariposa Military BaseLieutenant
NecropolisHarry •  Set
Raiders (Khan Base)Garl
Shady SandsAradesh •  Tandi
Vault 13Vault 13 Overseer •  Vault Dweller
Gametitle-FO1.png
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Icon vaulttec.png Fallout 2 Characters Icon vaulttec.png
ArroyoChosen One •  Hakunin •  Village Elder
Broken HillsMarcus
The DenMetzger •  Vic
GeckoFestus •  Gordon •  Harold
New California RepublicRoger Westin •  Tandi
New RenoBig Jesus Mordino •  John Bishop •  Louis Salvatore •  Myron •  Orville Wright
Poseidon Oil RigDick Richardson •  Frank Horrigan
San FranciscoA. Ron Meyers •  AHS-9 •  Emperor v8.8 Computer Terminal •  Matthew
Vault CityJohn Cassidy •  Joanne Lynette •  Councilman McClure
Vault 13Gruthar
Vault 15Darion
Gametitle-FO2.png
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Fallout 3 Characters Icon vaulttec.png
Major factions
Player characterLone Wanderer
Brotherhood of SteelElder Lyons •  Sentinel Lyons •  Scribe Rothchild •  Scribe Jameson •  Squire Maxson
EnclaveColonel Autumn •  John Henry Eden
Project Purity scientistsJames •  Madison Li •  Daniel Agincourt •  Alex Dargon •  Janice Kaplinski •  Anna Holt •  Garza •  Catherine (formerly)
Secondary factions
CompanionsDogmeat •  Fawkes •  Cross •  Sergeant RL-3 •  Butch •  Jericho •  Clover •  Charon
Faction leadersProtector Casdin •  Eulogy Jones •  Reilly •  Tree Father Birch •  Dave •  Vance •  Harkness •  Alphonse Almodovar •  Hannibal Hamlin •  Commander Jabsco •  Confessor Cromwell •  Sonora Cruz •  Daniel Littlehorn
Town leadersLucas Simms •  Colin Moriarty •  Allistair Tenpenny •  Roy Phillips •  Uncle Roe •  Mayor MacCready •  Red •  Jack Smith •  Evan King •  Doctor Barrows
Other major charactersHarold •  Amata Almodovar •  Ahzrukhal •  Three Dog •  Moira Brown •  Mister Burke •  Stanislaus Braun •  Herbert "Daring" Dashwood •  Argyle
Add-ons
Operation: AnchorageGeneral Chase •  General Jingwei •  Sergeant Benjamin Montgomery •  Protector McGraw •  Defender Morrill •  Specialist Olin •  Defender Sibley
The PittIshmael Ashur •  Krenshaw •  Sandra •  Marie •  Wernher •  Midea
Broken SteelPaladin Tristan •  Scribe Bigsley •  Scribe Vallincourt •  Officer Lepelletier •  Split Jack •  Griffon •  Mother Curie III
Point LookoutDesmond Lockheart •  Professor Calvert •  Jackson •  Obadiah Blackhall •  Tobar the Ferryman •  Catherine •  Nadine
Mothership ZetaSally •  Somah •  Paulson •  Elliott Tercorien •  Toshiro Kago •  Alien Captain
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel Characters Icon vaulttec.png
Player charactersCain •  Cyrus •  Nadia
CarbonArmpit •  Raider Matron •  Jesse •  Raider Lieutenant •  Richard •  Ruby •  Vault Dweller •  Vidya Doctor
LosBlake •  Giese •  Harold •  Hieronymous •  Rhombus •  Salieri
Vault-Tec Corporate VaultAttis •  CALIX •  Ching Tsun •  Dubois •  Mary •  Patty Doctor •  Technician
MerchantsChing Tsun •  Hieronymous •  Jesse •  Mr. Buddy console •  Salieri •  Shop-Tec
v · d · e
Icon vaulttec.png Fallout: The Board Game Characters Icon vaulttec.png
Base Game
CompanionsCait •  Codsworth •  Curie • Deacon •  Dogmeat •  Eyebot •  Hancock •  Loadlifter •  MacCready •  Nick Valentine •  Paladin Danse •  Piper •  Preston Garvey •  Protectron
CharactersFawkes •  Overseer Hayes •  Liberty Prime •  Doctor Merkins
Fallout: New California
CompanionsGoris •  Harold •  Ian •  John Cassidy •  Lady Butterheart •  Marcus •  Tycho
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